Holding On for Hope
by Love Affair With Distance
Summary: SS. This was his sign. That he was still holding hope. And maybe. Just maybe. She was too.
1. Part I

_**Holding on for hope.**_

_**Disclaimer: We've covered this… I don't own it so let's just get over the fact that life dealt me bad hand and I don't own it and move on with our lives I know I have. I also don't own the storyline 'Friends' own that (Tear) well they kinda do I took some liberties. But the basic idea is 'Friends' And this has the be the longest disclaimer EVER! Lol **_

_**A/N: Ok so I just watched an episode of 'Friends' And I became inspired to write this… It's set around when Seth had just come back from Portland so it's set after "The Way We Were". So it's Pre-Alex. Pre-Bait Shop.**_

He walked slowly up to the Robert's mansion. Breathing in quickly as he saw her bedroom window. He breathed in again all of a sudden becoming light-headed. He swallowed the lump in his throat and for once in his life he hoped that it was her dad or one of the maids that answered. He didn't think he could handle seeing her. Not after Kick-off carnival.

He knew he couldn't avoid her forever.

But he could for now.

He rang the doorbell holding the box under one arm. Ho quickly glanced into the box and saw a variation of things. Make-up she'd left. A bathing suit. A few of her Britney Spears' album's she'd left while refusing to listen to death cab. So basically everything she'd left at his house while they were dating.

He hated this.

He'd never thought he'd have to think of Summer as his _ex_-girlfriend. But obviously the universe had other plans for him. This was his peace offering. As he gave her this box. He was giving her any hope he had left for their relationship.

He was accepting that he did wrong and as a consequence she'd given up on them and after a few weeks dwelling he would too. But in the back of his mind he'd never loose hope and that's why he slipped the extra item in there.

The door was flung open and there stood Neil Robert's a face of thunder that only turned worse as he saw the visitor. His tie was hung loosely as if he'd just got in from a bad day. His suit jacket was off and he had no shoes on. Seth sighed and breathed in and started talking.

"Good afternoon, sir, good day today isn't it?" Seth said nervous as hell. Their last meeting hadn't gone too… _well_. What was he talking about, it went crap. The man hated him.

"What do you want Cohen?" The man demanded and Seth cringed at the use of the word Cohen. People only used it if they hated him. Well except for that raven haired girl that lived at the house he was stood outside at that moment.

"Uhh… well… I…" Seth started stuttering. Summer's dad was intimidating.

"Summer's not here" the older man said. He sighed and looked around Seth as if he had better things to do.

"Right" Seth said with a nod then looked to the box remembering why he was there "Could you give her this for me?" He asked passing the box to Dr. Roberts'. Neil looked at the box in confusion and looked at Seth to explain. "It's everything she left at my house when we were dating" Seth calmly told him.

Seth turned to walk away but Dr. Roberts' stopped him. "You're doing the right think you know?" He said. His anger suddenly gone. Seth looked to the man in confusion "Letting her go. If you don't let her go she'll resent you and then you'll never have another chance."

And Seth all of a sudden had a lot of respect for the man that stood before him. People could judge him for being a horrible father and leaving his daughter on his own. But in all truth ness Dr. Neil Roberts' was there for his daughter 110 percent. And Seth had respect for that.

"Thanks" Seth said with another nod making a move to leave.

"Bye Seth" He said with a turn to the door the box tucked under his right arm. Seth smiled he'd called him Seth. As he walked down the stairs he saw Zach's car pull into Summer's road. He didn't want to get caught in Summer's driveway. Summer would think he was a stalked and Zach would… well who knows what Zach would do he was on the water polo team. So Seth quickly returned to the Range Rover pulling out of the driveway before they could see him.

He couldn't help but resent Zach a little. Well ok a LOT. But he had everything. Perfect parents, and while everyone described Seth's parent's as perfect they'd hit a rough spot and didn't look like they were hitting the smooth spot anytime soon, anyway back to Zach, so he had a perfect family, he had perfect grades, while Seth's were falling behind, he was captain of the water polo team he had it all. Not to mention, in Seth's eyes, the perfect girl. He sighed and continued to his own house. Leaving everything he had of Summer behind. Including her.

As Zach pulled into her driveway she couldn't help but notice the familiar range rover pull out on the other side. _No it couldn't be she_ thought. So he'd tried to win her back at kick off carnival and now he'd physically come to her house and was begging forgiveness.

_God he is such an ass, so what? He expected to sail off to Tahiti or wherever he went off to and I'd be there waiting for him like Marissa would for Ryan, god come Monday morning I'm going to kick Cohen's as… _

"Summer?" Zach asked. She looked at him and stopped rambling in her head. Damn Cohen.

"Uhh… yeah?" She asked with a sweet smile.

"We're here" he said in an obvious tone.

"Oh right well I better go then… I'll see ya Monday?" She asked. He nodded. And leaned into kiss her and she closed her eyes. Dread filling the back of her head.

She knew she shouldn't hate kissing her boyfriend. But he just wasn't _him_. And that's why she'd keep her eyes closed for a few seconds after the kiss. Pretending to savour the kiss and every time she opened her eyes she expected to see the man with a curly Jew-fro and the beaming smile that would spread for miles just because he'd had a chance to kiss _the_, Summer Roberts. But all she was greeted with was the plain floppy hair that looked like he had to use tonnes of products on just to get that natural bounce to it and a warm smile. And this would do for her. For now. This was her rebound. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The reason Summer wouldn't let Seth Cohen back into her life wasn't revenge to him, it wasn't that she had an abandonment issue because the only people that had really abandoned her was her mom but she'd gotten over that, and Marissa for the odd boy but she came back. No Summer was a generally happy girl no angst, no issues anywhere in sight. She didn't have commitment issues. Sure Seth had been the first boy that she'd taken an interest of and let him sweep her off her feet. But she was really teaching Seth Cohen a lesson. He couldn't just come back into her life and expect her to be there always. Even though Marissa did it, it was different. Marissa was her best friend. Seth was her boyfriend. Or ex. So she was teaching Seth Cohen a lesson. But it felt more of a lesson to herself.

She waved Zach good-bye as he pulled out of the driveway. Seth would always wait for her to go in before even starting up the ignition or if he was dropping her off he'd walk her to her door. _Dammit_, Summer thought, _stop thinking of Cohen. _

She walked in to find her dad actually looking relaxed and not a glass of scotch in sight. It wasn't that her father was an alcoholic he just liked the odd drink.

"You're friend stopped by" He said with a wave of a hand to the front door. Summer nodded knowing he was talking about Seth. He picked up a box and Summer frowned, wondering what it was. "He left this" Handing the box to Summer. Knowing Seth this was probably some get-Summer-back scheme. She took the box up to her bedroom wondering what it was.

She opened it and poured the contents on to her bed. Tears stinging her eyes she sat down next to the items just leafing through everything. She smiled and saw that, like she, he had given her all her stuff back.

She felt some sadness. This meant that everything was ending between them.

She pulled out her CD albums and looked at a few pictures of them he'd had stuffed into her room. A note lay on the side she picked it up as it read _'To Summer'_. She looked a bit scared. It looked exactly like the one he'd left before the summer but he wasn't leaving again… was he?

As she opened it she sighed relief. It read:

'_To Summer,_

_Again I'm sorry for leaving and for what happened at the kick off carnival._

_Hope we can still be friends even if you don't want to be I'll always be here for you. _

_Seth_

_Or Cohen_

_Whichever you prefer'_

She smiled. Stashing the note with their secret notes in class she'd kept and the note from the beginning of summer.

She quickly put all the stuff away and came across one item that wasn't her. It was Seth's.

She picked up the baby blue t-shirt that read 'Have you hugged my t-shirt today?' it was her favourite.

_.:. Flashback.:._

_Summer and Seth lay back on Summer's bed as they finished watching 'The notebook' with Summer's Kleenex at her right and her left hand dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. And Seth just laughed but Summer knowing a few tears where forming in his chocolate eyes. _

"_That movie was…" She started "Awesome. Honestly has to be the best one I've seen in a while" she said staring at Seth._

"_It was ok" Seth said trying to act manly. Summer just giggled. _

"_Are you giggling at my manly exterior?" He asked. His hands to her sides tickling her, which caused her to giggle more._

"_No of course not" She screeched in between giggles. _

_He stopped tickling her and took this chance to look around her room. He noted the stuffed animals lined up on her windowsill. The iPod that sat on her desk. The pin board with pictures on. Her room was the model for all teenage girl's room. But something caught his eye. Something draped over her chair. He frowned when he realised what it was. Sitting up and then standing walking to it. _

"_Isn't this mine?" He asked picking up the t-shirt and inspecting it as if it wasn't his._

_Summer rolled her eyes. "No Ryan left it here last night" she said which caused him to turn round and frown at her. "Of course it's yours" _

"_Then what are you doing with it?" He asked his hands still holding onto said shirt now that he was fully sure it was in fact his own. _

_Summer shrugged "I like it" Was her only answer Seth nodded._

"_You can keep it" He said before returning to his position of beside her on the bed. She lifted his arm up and crawled under it and laid her head under his chest. She loved how she fit so perfectly underneath Seth's arm. _

"_I know" she replied. Before kissing him. _

_.:. End Flashback .:. _

She picked up the familiar t-shirt. She loved the shirt. At the time she loved it because it smelt like him. She'd slept in it most nights when he was sailing. He couldn't be there to wrap his arms around her so his t-shirt did instead. She had returned with a bunch of his other _'crap'_ in the summer. But she'd regretted it ever since. Sometimes she couldn't sleep and she'd need that comfort around her.

She lifted the shirt to her face burying her face into it. And because it'd been at the Cohen house it smelt like him once more. She imagined burying her head into the crook of his neck instead of the shirt.

This was his sign.

That he was still holding hope.

And maybe. Just maybe.

She was too.

_**Ok that didn't come out how I actually wanted it to but I thought it was ok. Man I am on fire with fictions this week! I just feel a bit uninspired for my other fic's but I promise you that they will be updated soon! Tell me what you think! This was supposed to be set in 'Friends' when Ross and Rachel were giving back their stuff and they argued over the 'Frankie says relax' t-shirt and he gave it to her in the end. I saw it today and came up with this. And also I wanted to sort of stress the point about Summer not having issues like some fic's say about her and when people say her dad is never there because in the first season she say's that her dad is her best friend… you're hardly going to be best friends with someone if there never there. But hey it's a fan fiction if you want to write that then your write it lol.**_

_**Please review it will save a life. And not just any old life. My life :D **_


	2. Part II

_**Holding on for hope.**_

_**Disclaimer: We've covered this… I don't own it so let's just get over the fact that life dealt me bad hand and I don't own it and move on with our lives I know I have. **_

_**A/N: Ok so this is originally a oneshot but after a few really nice reviews and a few people asking for more I thought why not… and with the recent hiatus of 'The runaways' I thought I might add another addition to this… I actually have the next chapter of 'Promises are often broken' written out so that will be up soon and I have started the next chapter of 'I'm lost without you' and I'm off school for a whole week! So expect a load more chapters on my other stories and a load more oneshot's! still not sure if this is the last chapter for this fic so look out for more on this if I decide to write more maybe I'll make it a 4 parter or something about them both holding on for hope or something… who knows and I might add another chapter to 'the places you have come to fear the most' but I'm not so sure on that…**_

_**Sorry for my little ramble… but I was just amazed at some reviews that I thought I'd write more! You all rock! **_

* * *

Neil Robert's watched his daughter from her bedroom door, that was open by about an inch. He watched her as she leafed through the box of stuff. He saw her smile as she read a note and he quickly hid as she moved around her room. She moved onto her bed again and he saw tears well up in her eyes as she looked to a t-shirt. She took the t-shirt and presumably smelt it.

It was obviously his.

He never really liked Seth Cohen. As soon as he'd met him he never thought he was good enough for his baby. But seeing how upset she was when they broke up, when he asked, and how happy she'd been to get back together he knew Seth Cohen was good for her. But then he started hating him again when he sailed away. And when he'd come round the house that day to give back Summer's stuff he suddenly had respect for him. As pleased as he was to hear that Summer was dating the son of a congressman, he knew she wasn't happy. He could tell every time that fake smile played on her lips. And when he saw her looking through her ex-boyfriends stuff he couldn't help but notice her beaming smile.

He had to face it. His baby was in love. With Seth Cohen.

If only she'd realise it. And then he decided he was going to do everything he could in his power of making his little girl happy again.

Ever since she was little he would do anything to make his only daughter-or child- happy. When she was little and fell over he would spend about an hour just letting her sob complaining her arm was broken. When she was 13 and her mother left and she spent all weekend in her bedroom he let her take the day off school and took her to the pier to have a Balboa bar before they went to the mall. And she cheered up. So it was only natural to want to make her happy again. And judging from the sullen look on the boy earlier he would too.

Neil was deep in thought he didn't realise his daughter was looking up to him, the door wide open, in confusion.

"Hey Sum" He said. Summer smiled at the nickname. "I just wondered if you wanted to do something tomorrow night?"

Summer's smiled warmed up and she nodded but then realised something "Oh, I made plans with Zach tomorrow tonight" She said.

Her dad faked hurt that he wanted to spend time with his daughter. At the look on her dad's face she quickly changed her answer "He can come eat with us?" She asked.

Her dad shook his head "No I wanted to spend some father/daughter quality time together but don't worry go out and enjoy yourself."

"No Daddy it's ok I want to spend some time together anyway. Zach will be fine with it" She said with a smile "Hey dad, Zach wants to meet you soon maybe we can go out for lunch this weekend?"

"This weekend" He said as though he was thinking of what plans he had "I can't this weekend, sweetie, I'm working. But soon" He said. He kissed her forehead and made his way back to his office.

* * *

Ryan watched as Seth sat on the sofa. His face was blank. And even though his body was there his heart, soul and mind where elsewhere. And it wasn't hard to imagine where. Seth had come in the house and settled him on the sofa and Ryan had walked in, expecting to hear a ramble about Summer and her new boyfriend while refusing to say the word 'boyfriend' but he was just greeted with a blank Seth. He wanted to help him, but he didn't know how. He had loved Marissa, sure, but she was easy to move on from but Seth was having a hard time. Ryan sighed and moved into the kitchen.

He leaned against the counter wondering how to get his best friend out of this funk he was having. But for once he didn't know how.

Sandy entered the kitchen, obviously having just seen his son, he looked at Ryan with a questioning glance. Ryan felt eyes on him so he turned to see the beholder. He moved his body so his hip was leaning against the counter and Sandy sighed.

"Summer?" He asked. They knew both knew what they were talking about. Ryan nodded and they both sighed.

"I just don't know how to help him" Ryan said. Sandy sadly nodded.

"Well we can't blame her I mean he couldn't just expect her to take him back but it is hard seeing him like this. Can't they just be friends?"

"Seth and Summer? Friends?" Ryan asked. And shook his head sort of answering his own question. "If you have a history with someone you can never just be their friend" Ryan concluded thinking over the past experiences he had had with Marissa.

"Well who knows?" Sandy asked. Ryan shrugged. Seth came into the kitchen with a grunt to the 2 occupiers. He made his way to the refrigerator in which Sandy moved away from, grabbing a bottle of water. He grunted again and made his way to the family room again.

"God, it's too depressing to watch" Sandy said. "Talk to him would you? Or Summer?" He asked.

"Yeah ok" Ryan said. He moved out to the poolhouse and wondered how to approach this subject.

* * *

As Summer climbed into her bed, with Seth's shirt, flannel PJ bottoms, princess sparkle in hand and the Valley playing on her tv, she started thinking of her dad's odd behaviour. He'd been the one that had mentioned meeting Zach in the first place and now he had work? He hardly ever did overtime at the weekends. She didn't know what had changed in him but she hoped it wasn't for long.

She watched the valley and could totally relate with one of the characters on the show. April (who Summer always compared herself to anyway) had to decide between 2 boys. She loved one with all her heart but they'd both hurt each other in the past and the other one, she thought, would never hurt her. Little did she know that he was sleeping with her best friend… so she couldn't quite compare. But it was a similar circumstances.

She sighed after having enough valley for the night she switched her TV off and climbed back into her purple bed. She said a good night to Princess Sparkle and proceeded to smell in Seth's shirt. She fell asleep thinking Cohen was beside her.

* * *

As Seth sat on his bed in the dark he couldn't help but feel the wash of depression cover him again. He knew he shouldn't feel this depressed after a normal break-up. But then again this wasn't a normal break-up. She'd moved on so why couldn't he?

He sighed, leaning up against his headboard and taking in his room. On the left to him was a gigantic pin board with pictures of himself with friends or stuff that was from good times. Last year there would have been nothing like this in his room just band posters and maybe a picture of him with family. So maybe things were better maybe it was just from the years of watching Summer from afar to having her to losing her.

Maybe it was his need for Summer.

* * *

As Ryan walked up to the Robert's house he noted Summer's car in the drive way, hopefully she was in. from what he'd heard about Neil Roberts from Seth her didn't seem the person to be nice to anyone. But then again he hadn't heard Seth talk in a while.

As Ryan rung the doorbell and stood back from the door he shoved his fists into his pocket and looked to the door. And then it was opened. And there stood a man in a deep purple shirt and black trousers. He had grey hair and deep brown eyes that Ryan would recognise anywhere; they were Summer's which meant the man in front of him was Neil Robert's.

"Uhh" Ryan looked around "Is Summer here?" He asked him.

"Nope not at the moment she's with her boyfriend" And if Ryan had heard right he could've sworn he heard some bitterness in his tone at the mention of boyfriend.

"Ok can you maybe tell her that Ryan came round?" He asked "And if she could, to call me?" He said all this in his nice, yet assertive tone. He wasn't about to be degraded by his best friends ex girlfriends dad. Man Newport was a complicated town.

"Sure" Neil said. Before actually realising who Ryan was "Wait!" He said. Ryan looked up at him confused. "Your Seth's friend, right?"

Ryan just nodded.

"Ok well maybe you should come in for a second I want to talk to you" Neil said his voice matching Ryan's; nice but assertive.

"Um ok" Ryan said a little unsure of why he wanted to talk was he going to get the blame for Seth's actions? 'Cause if he was he was going to have to personally kill Seth when he got home. Although he was going to have to beat Summer to the kill.

"So how is he?" Neil asked as they entered the Robert's family room and took a seat.

Ryan wondered where this sudden concern for Seth had come from.

"Um…" He was unsure of how to answer "He hasn't talked in 2 days which is weird for Seth considering all her does is talk. But maybe it's because all he used to talk about was Summer and now there not together he doesn't really have much to talk about" So that was where Seth's ramblings had gone.

"Yeah I kind of got that from when we met for lunch. So is that a bad thing for him to not be talking?"

"Yeah it is. I think he's depressed or something. The whole reason I came here was to just get Summer to talk to him because I'm sure having her in his life will be better than her not be in it at all"

Neil nodded taking all this in "I think it's the same with Summer. I mean she's trying to act happy but I know she's not I can just tell. She was like this for a bit after her mother left. I mean she was content with life but she wasn't really happy until she met Seth. And I know he's hurt her but I mean we're not perfect not even Summer. She's hurt him I'm sure whether it was intentional or not. But all I want is the best for my daughter"

Ryan nodded "And I just want what's best for my best friend"

"Ok so we need to do something because Seth and Summer are just going to stay like this until they really can't live without each other and just kill themselves" Neil said with a bi of humour in his voice. From what Seth had told Ryan Neil Roberts was not normally like this but he still cracked a small smile at his joke.

"So what do we do?" Ryan asked.

"Well it seems to me that it's Summer that is the one that's scared so I guess we both need to talk to her seperatly maybe you could point out a few things about Seth, don't go to purposely make her guilty just tell her how it is" Neil said.

"Ok"

"And I'm having father/daughter bonding time tonight with her so I'll talk to her then" Neil said getting up. As Ryan stood from his chair Neil held out his hand to shake Ryan's. Ryan shook it.

"Just one thing, Dr. Roberts" Ryan said Neil looked at him as if to carry on "I thought you hated Seth? Why would you want to see Summer with him?"

"Well like I said earlier I just want to make my daughter happy and Seth Cohen seems to have that affect on her plus he's not as bad as I thought" he said with a slight wink in his eye. Ryan nodded and then all of a sudden they heard voices and a door slam. Ryan braced himself for what was next.

Summer came in a smile plastered on her face but he could see right through it. "Ryan?" She asked "What are you doing here?"

Zach tried to grab her hand as if to show Ryan that she was his now. But Summer just shook it off and turned back to Ryan her eyebrows raised as thought asking her question again.

"Oh" He looked to Neil "No reason I just wanted to talk but don't worry I see you have company I'll come back at another time"

Summer looked to Zach and pushed his hand away, once more, "No it's ok Zach was just leaving weren't you?" She said with a sweet smile to Zach. Zach looked, open mouthed, to Summer, To Ryan and then to Dr. Robert's he shrugged grunting something about girls as he walked out of the room.

* * *

"So, Atwood" Summer started as she shut her bedroom door. She took off her jacket and put her purse on the bed before slumping down next to them "What are you doing here? And did Cohen send you?"

"No he didn't send me but" He started taking a seat near Summer's bed "Did anything happen between you two in the past 2 days?" He asked he looked around Summer's room and then at Summer who was sat up on the bed looking at Ryan in confusion

"No why?" She asked.

"Because he's really depressed like a few days ago he was upset but dealing now he just doesn't seem to be dealing at all" Ryan said. He knew he was letting on too much about his friend but something had to be done.

"No well I guess something he came round to give me back my stuff but I wasn't here"

"Oh" Ryan said. He leaned back in his chair his eyes closed as his head lulled on the back of the chair "Than I guess that's it"

"How is he acting depressed like is he a pill popping manic depressive? Or is he like 'I'll get over it in a few days I just need time to sulk' kind of way?" She asked. Apparently she wasn't the only one Seth rubbed off on.

"Well he hasn't spoken in like 2 days so my guess… somewhere in the middle"

"Oh" Was all she said. Ryan noted that the atmosphere in the air could've been cut with a knife.

"Look, not that this is any of my business, but why won't you just take him back?"

"Because I can't. He can't just leave me and walk back into my life whenever HE feels like it" she said.

"Well you've basically done it to him" He muttered under his breath but Summer still heard it.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice raising a little.

"I'm just saying do you ever wonder why he left without telling you?" Ryan's voice was also raising, he didn't know where it was even coming from but just seeing the look on Seth's face this morning.

"Because he's a bitch in a boat?" Summer screamed at him. And Ryan knew one of her infamous rage-blackouts were coming and that she just expected everyone to back down but he wasn't going to he wasn't fazed by them at all.

"No because maybe he thought that you wouldn't care if he left" Ryan said his voice returning to normal.

"What do you mean?" Summer asked her voice returning too, her pre-rage-blackout gone.

"I mean a couple weeks before he left you basically left him for your dad. He thought with me gone you'd do the same and not care if he left or stayed or whatever" Ryan said. His words sinking into Summer. Suddenly it all made sense to her. She left him, so what's to say she wouldn't leave again? She suddenly felt guilty. The reason Seth left with only a note to her was because he was having doubts about their relationship. All he would have needed was reassurance. But that reassurance had to come from her.

Ryan seeing his words take action "Do what you have to do, Summer" He said with a warm smile he left her bedroom to leave a Summer in wonderment.

* * *

**_Ok thanks again for the reviews you all rock! But here you go maybe a few more chapters on this like 1 or 2 but tell me what YOU would like to see next. Or if you have any ideas I could do for a new oneshot don't hesitate to tell me because I feel like writing some new ones but in my mind I can only think of multi-chapter ones that will come later on!_**

_**Please review I'll be eternally grateful **_


	3. Part III

**Holding On For Hope**

_**Disclaimer: We've covered this… I don't own it so let's just get over the fact that life dealt me bad hand and I don't own it and move on with our lives I know I have.**_

* * *

His brown eyes, looking into her own, matching, ones. 

His laughter, filling her ears.

His touch, all over her body.

His whispers, lingering in her ear.

Summer quickly snapped up from her sleeping position. She looked round to the clock. 2.49am. She ran her hand through her hair, then put her hand to her forehead. She was sweating. She quickly wiped it away and lay back down.

Ryan's words had been in her head all day.

"… a couple weeks before he left you basically left him for your dad. He thought with me gone you'd do the same and not care if he left or stayed or whatever"

Seth had thought that if he didn't leave Summer would leave him, again, and Newport without Summer and/or Ryan by his side was no Newport at all.

Summer knew there was logic in his reasoning, she'd left him, not physically but she had left him for her dad and he was there for her no apology needed so when Ryan left it was only right that Summer would leave him for a water polo playing jerk or her dad again.

She sighed and turned around princess sparkle in her hand, Seth's t-shirt covering her small body.

Seth had been there, waiting, for her when she'd chose her dad over him and Summer had turned her back on Seth as soon as Seth had done anything to hurt her.

She'd thought, when he left, they're relationship had been fine neither had been hurt until he left, but in all truth he had been hurt but had never showed it.

These thoughts were driving Summer crazy. She needed to get up, do something. But there's not much to do at 3am in the morning.

After a few minutes of debating Summer pulled herself out of her bed, the clock now reading 3.05am. She pulled the jeans she was wearing the day before on. She pulled on her D&G jacket over Seth's vintage tee and pulled on a pair of discarded shoes that lay by her bed. When she was dressed she grabbed her car keys that lay on her desk next to her door and walked out of the room the only noise made was either the door shutting or the jangle of the keys.

* * *

Seth lay on the beach. He could hear the waves crashing and he could see the stars in the sky but all he could think about was her. All he could see was her. All he could hear was her. 

He had been going crazy in his house he couldn't sleep so he'd decided a night time walk was in order, yet it only made him think of her more. He promised himself that as soon as he gave her back that t-shirt that he would take a few days to mope to think back on what was but he just couldn't get over it.

He'd seen her and Zach around together and they looked happy, in love (as much as Seth hated to see it) more than they ever had so maybe Seth just needed to let go, find himself someone new.

If only it wasn't so difficult. He didn't know how long he could go without being able to touch her, to kiss her, to just be around her.

He sighed and looked at his watch. 3.14am. He got up deciding he should go home before his parents found him out of his bed and freaked out, probably phoning everyone in Newport and then calling a search party.

He brushed the sand off his jeans and shoved his hands in his jeans before walking up towards his house. The wind whipping around his hair and face.

* * *

Summer pulled up at the beach, she'd made it surprisingly quick there. On a normal day it would've taken her 10 minutes to make her way to the beach but due to the time and her speeding she'd made it in 6. She came down to the beach in search of a place away from her thoughts, usually when she couldn't sleep, but most of the time it made her think about them more and finally come to a decision on what she was going to do. 

As she walked down the familiar strip of beach clutching her jacket closer to her frame and looking in front of her. As she looked ahead she saw the lights ahead from the pier and a beach party in the distance. She quietly laughed to herself; she would've been at that party just a year ago. But then Ryan had come to town saved Marissa and they just sort of stopped going to them parties. But in the loss of her friends and the parties she'd found Cohen. And that was better than any high school party.

As she looked a little more to the right she saw a limp figure with shoulders hunched making their way up the path way towards the nearest road. Summer frowned and tried to make out the figure. When she realised. And before she could think she had slipped her shoes off, picking them up, and running towards the familiar figure in a hope of catching him.

* * *

Seth could hear feet clambering on the path way behind him, his facial expression changed to confused. Who would be out at this time of night? And why the hell where they running? Seth just shook his head of thoughts and put the noises down to being in his head from his tiredness and he would've believed it if the person hadn't shouted "Cohen" in the way only _she_ could. At the thought of her he turned around to see a out of breath Summer, now walking, up the hill. He laughed a bit and then started making his way down again, immeadiatly recognizing the shirt she was wearing. But quickly put it down that she didn't have anything to wear and that it was nothing to do with him. 

As he made his way down Summer quickly remembered the top she was wearing. She quickly stood in shock and hoped Seth didn't notice it. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself and smiled towards him as he came closer and brushed some hair away from her eyes.

He finally reached her and they stood looking into each others eyes for a second and then he made the first move "Summer" He said loudly as if telling a whole room of people that she was, in fact, Summer. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Well I come down here when I can't sleep, helps me clear my mind ya know?" She asked him and tilted her head to look up at him in question.

"Yeah me too" He said "Well I don't come down here to clear my head just to help me sleep, the waters very…" He trailed off thinking of what word he could use for the water "Soothing" He finally said with the first word.

Summer nodded and noticed the kinda awkward tension between them, well it wasn't completely awkward 'cause they were Seth and Summer, but they was definitely a hint of awkwardness. "So how are you?" Summer asked and started walking, slowly, back towards the beach and Seth being Seth followed her putting his hands in the pockets of his sports jacket.

"Uhh I'm…" He started unsure of to say _'Great, top of the world, couldn't be better especially since we broke up'_ or _'Depressed heart-broken I need you back' _"Fine" He said taking the safe way of still having a chance with Summer in the future or coming off a complete… loser. "You?" He asked turning the question back on her.

"Yeah I'm fine" She said with a fake smile, Seth could see right through it. Something was wrong, he just needed to find out what. Although Seth was completely oblivious to the signs that she wasn't over him. The shirt. The hesitation. The fake smiles. The longing looks.

"Good" He said. Why was this so awkward? Oh, that's right, they'd just endured a break up. Of course they were going to be awkward.

"Yup" She said. They carried on walking before Summer turned her body a little so she was facing Seth but walking backwards he looked at her and studied her face, her perfect, pink tinted, cheek bones, her hair framing her face. She was beautiful. "Why is this sooo…." She trailed off unsure of how to put it.

Seth saw the hesitation in her face "Awkward?" He asked a smirk playing on his face. Not enough of a smile for the dimples but enough for Summer.

"Yeah" She agreed

"I was thinking maybe we could be friends?" He asked. And if it had been light out he would have seen Summer's, fake, smile drop. He couldn't see it but he could sense it. But he had no idea what it meant. Did it mean that she wanted to be more than friends? Or less than friends? Sometimes he wished he could go back to before when Ryan came because life was simpler no signs you had to read, no games you had to win. But then again he'd still have pee in his shoes and he would still be being slammed into lockers.

"Why not? I mean we were friends before." She said, knowing damn well that they were never really friends. Because he'd always been watching from afar and when Anna had come there'd always been something there.

"Right" Seth said.

In all truth ever since Seth had come back he'd been feeling guilty, here he had promises Summer to never leave her he promised her the world to only snatch it away with one silly teenage boy act. He knew she had issues, not necessarily Marissa issues, Summer wasn't the type to dwell on her problems but with her moms absence there was always just a small gap in her. And Seth had promised to be there for her and yet when his best friend left. BAM. He was gone. What did that show her? Other than him being a stupid coward, it showed her that Seth was nothing special. He'd always wanted to be different for Summer, different than them stupid water polo playing, chest shaving jocks at Harbor High. But he'd proved himself, and Summer, wrong. And for that Seth would never forgive himself, even if something happens to bring himself and Summer together he would never forgive himself.

So there they were, on the beach, two lost souls blaming themselves for the complete shatter of their relationship. One of them 'trying' to move on, the other 'trying' to get over the girl he'd been lusting over the age of 10. They were there, completely in love with the other but thinking they'd caused too much pain for the other to even think of loving them. If only they would notice the connection that was deeper than words and floating above them, around them, everywhere. If only they would notice the sparks when their eyes connected, when they brushed arms. If only they would notice the silent 'I love you's whispered into the fresh crisp air.

If only.

* * *

_**Ok so thanks for all the reviews, again, you guys ROCK! And I'm sorry this is late and a load of my fics and I've made promises but with Halloween this week and school starting up again and teachers, friends and family on my back I haven't had time to really update I've only had time to check email lol and then I got rushed off somewhere when I did start writing this! So I'm sorry and I will try my hardest to get Promises are often broken written up soon! Also I was thinking of making this into a multi chapter story I had a really good idea and everything (although credit for the idea goes out to someone we won't name cos she knows who she is) but I just haven't got time and I don't want to disappoint you with not updating this and then not getting my other fics written out… maybe in Christmas break when I have nothing better to do I'll write an alternate ending for this but the next chapter will most likely be the last to this… ok sorry for my little ramble my A/N's seem to go on FOREVER AND EVER I'm surprised you're not all asleep now… but if you are (Slap) wake up and press the lil purple/indigo/blue/ any other colour button below and tell me what you think **_


	4. Part IV

_**Holding on For Hope**_

_**Disclaimer: We've covered this… I don't own it so let's just get over the fact that life dealt me bad hand and I don't own it and move on with our lives I know I have.**_

_**A/N: I'm not going to bore you this time, so, I didn't mean for this to have so much RM in. I didn't mean for it to be this long, but I had to make it long to not hold back on any detail. And also cos I can't fit all I wanted to in this there will be 1 more chapter… sorta like an epilogue. Enjoy **_

* * *

Ryan carefully knocked on Seth's door, 2 cups of coffee in hand. He waited for a response and when he didn't get one he let him self into the room. As he entered the first thing he noticed was the darkness. He looked to the windows and saw the reason for the darkness in the room was due to the curtains still being closed.

He rolled his eyes and set both cups of coffee down, before opening the curtains to let light into the room. As the light flooded in he heard a groan from under the sheets on the bed. Once again he rolled his eyes and made his way over to bed pulling the sheets back. Out of reaction Seth moved to grab the covers before they were completely off his body but wasn't quick enough and his jeans and t-shirt were revealed. He sighed and lay back down.

"What's up with the sleeping in late?" Ryan asked, passing him the cup of coffee as he took a sip of his own.

"I went to sleep late," Seth said vaguely, as he sat up taking the coffee Ryan was offering and sipping it.

"Why, what were you doing?" Ryan asked, his eyebrows knotting in confusion. "Were you doing that online tournament, again, all night?" Ryan asked remembering the last time Seth stayed up all night to defeat some reigning champion on a video game, he didn't know he didn't get the concept of 'online gaming'.

Seth shook his head vigorously and played with the handle on the coffee mug. Ryan looked at him as if telling him to give him more than a headshake. Seth tried to be oblivious to Ryan's glares but he cracked, not handling the looks. "I couldn't sleep last night, so I went down to the beach in hope of it making me tired but then I bumped into someone…" Seth trailed off.

Ryan took a seat at Seth's chair at his desk but pulling it next to his bed so he could question Seth more. "Who?" Ryan asked, looking at him, his eyes squinted.

Seth couldn't help but think how the tables had turned. It would normally have been him asking Ryan all these question, and Ryan not wanting to give out the details but now it was all Seth.

"Summer" Seth breathed out, as if getting his biggest secret off his chest. "She was down there, we talked" He said simply at the look on Ryan's face. He gulped down the rest of his hot coffee and put it down on his bedside cabinet "I'm going to go and get showered and dressed" Seth said.

Ryan sat in wonderment for a full 5 minutes before he actually realised Seth was gone, he'd had a conversation with Seth that didn't really evolve around getting Summer back, and the most Seth had said was when he was trying to get away from the room. He'd never seen Seth like this, it was like Seth felt he had nothing anymore so why was he bothering with words. Ryan needed to do something. And Ryan needed to do it soon.

* * *

Marissa lay on her bed with her magazine propped against her chest as she read about Mischa Barton quitting some show. She wore some light blue shorts with a darker blue tank shirt; with the heat of summer not fully over she was still hot in the minimalist of clothing.

She couldn't help but recall the phone call she had just had with her best friend. She could see straight through the long silences, the pretend laughs, and the fake smile. She knew her friend was hurting whether it be the private battle in her head or the public battle with her ex-boyfriend, she didn't know.

As she heard the door knock she knew it could only be either one of two people – her mom, or Summer – but when she got up to answer the knocking door, she was greeted with someone she least expected to be there.

"Ryan?" She asked, she looked around him and behind him on 'Mother' watch. "What are you doing here?" She asked when she was finally sure her mom was not around.

"Oh, uh, right, your, uh, sister let me in. I came to talk..." He said. She looked at him with her eyes full of hope at the though of talking "About Summer and Seth" He added awkwardly after seeing the familiar look on her face.

"Oh, right yeah of course, come in" She said swinging the door on its hinges for him to walk it, as he walked in her tried his best not to brush past her, but the doorway was too small and awkward so he ended up brushing past her.

She sat down on her bed, throwing the magazine in a corner of the room and straightening out the sheets that she had creased when laying down earlier, she gestured for him to sit next to her.

He took a seat down awkwardly on her bed, his hand placed beside him. "So…" Marissa trailed off "What did you want to talk about?" She asked him, pretending to forget what he'd said upon arrival.

"Oh, Seth and Summer" He said studying her room, the empty bottle of vodka in her bin not going unnoticed.

"Right, I spoke to her this morning, she seems… weird" She said with a bit of hesitation in there, in all truth she hadn't been there for her best friend during them long summer months without Seth by her side, instead she'd opted to make a bottle of Absolute Pure Vodka her best friend.

"Yeah, uh, I spoke to her the other day, she seemed weird then too, but not as weird as Seth" He said.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked with pity laced in her voice.

"I don't know, I think it's just hit him harder then we all anticipated,"

"We need a plan" Marissa finally decided after a few long silences, they both looked at each other and jumped up, Ryan walked towards the door while Marissa pulled on her black converses.

* * *

Summer laid back her head on the couch in frustration; she didn't know what to do. She was tired but she couldn't sleep, she was hungry but she couldn't eat. So she'd stuck to watching 'The Valley' marathons on MTV but even they were getting a bit boring.

She heard the chimes of the doorbell ripple through the house, she rolled her eyes but she still hoped it was someone for her, to take this utter boredom away.

As she opened the door she was greeted with an unusual sight, Ryan and Marissa. Together. At her door.

She shook her head at the sight in front of her, almost trying to make sure she was seeing right and the tiredness and hunger wasn't setting in.

"Summer?" Marissa questioned, as she laid a hand on her best friends shoulder. Summer shook her head again and looked again at the couple in front of her.

"Hey guys" She said with a smile – fake – "What are you doing here?"

"We've come to talk to you" Ryan entered the conversation for the first time upon arrival.

"Oh, um, ok then, come in" she said opening the glass door open for them; they happily obliged and walked past her into her over-sized mansion.

"So are you two…" Summer asked but trailing off, almost scared to find out what the answer was.

Marissa and Ryan glanced at each other "No," Marissa said "Just friends." She happily said with a smile.

Summer nodded her head at her best friends, she was sure there was something else there.

"So why are you here?" Summer asked the two blondes in front of her "-not that I don't want you here" She added at the look on their faces.

Ryan shifted awkwardly wanting to not be in that moment in time, Marissa glanced at Ryan as if to urge him with her eyes to talk to Summer. Summer noticed the weird behaviour of the two in front of her and looked at them, her eyes slightly squinted.

"What's going on guy?" She asked them her perfectly shaped eyebrows arched.

"Uhh, well, we came to…" Ryan trailed off; he wasn't good with words normally so with his pseudo brother's happiness at stake here, he was definitely not good with them.

Marissa glanced at Ryan from the corner of her eye and gave him the hint of an eye roll before placing her eyes on Summer, who had her hand on hip and her eyebrows still raised.

"We came to ask you…" Marissa also trailed off, damn this was hard. Ryan was now giving the eye roll.

"Came to ask me what?" Summer questioned, what was up with her best friends?

"We came to ask how you are," Ryan said, nodding his head as if he way verifying himself that that was what they had come to ask.

Summer looked at the couple – or just friends – in front of her and nodded her head, kinda sarcastically (if there was a sarcastic way to nod your head), she didn't believe that they had come all the way to her house just to ask her that.

"Yeah," Marissa added in "And you seem fine, so me and Ryan, we'll, we'll just be on our way" Marissa said a face with a smile but her eyes holding rage against Ryan.

Summer's face still had confusion etched all over but she nodded her head "Ok, then, cya soon" She said, Ryan held his hand up with a, sorta, wave and made a move to go.

"Bye, Sum" Marissa said before following Ryan down to the car.

Summer glanced after her friends and shook her head, "weird friends" She said under her voice, before she slammed the door shut to make her way back to her Valley marathon.

* * *

Ryan and Marissa walked down to the car and after Marissa, finally, caught up with him, he'd received a smack to the shoulder "… you, totally, screwed up our chance their" She ranted on, Ryan rolled his eyes but he was glad they were on the friend – not really friend – level.

As they came down the steep steps to Summer's house they saw a silver Lexus pull into the driveway. Marissa glanced at Ryan and then back to the silver car that was rapidly approaching them.

Dr. Roberts stepped out of his car to be greeted with two of his daughters friends, he smiled warmly at them before taking the keys out of the ignition and reaching to get his briefcase from the back of the car, pulling off his sunglasses he stepped out of the car.

The two teenagers waited patiently on the steps of his house to greet the older man, not wanting to be rude.

"Good afternoon Dr. Roberts" Marissa said, "Lovely day to day isn't it?" She asked smiling at her best friends dad.

"Marissa. Ryan" He said with a smile "Yes it is Marissa" He said with a nod to Marissa.

Marissa made a move to walk away, after having greeted him, but Ryan stopped her. Marissa looked at his hand on her arm then back at Ryan but saw his eyes were on Dr. Roberts. She had no idea what was going on.

"How is she?" Neil asked as his head tilted towards the house.

"We're not sure" Marissa said, she now too looking at Dr. Roberts but her eyes went to Ryan again "We were going to talk to her, but someone messed it up" Her eyes stern.

Neil let out a small chuckle and then turned serious "Is there any improvement to Seth?" He asked.

Ryan shook his head "Nope, apparently they were both at the beach last night, and there in the 'friend' zone" Ryan said using air quotes, just like Seth would normally do, Seth was really rubbing off on Ryan.

Neil nodded once more "I heard her come in at an obscene hour this morning, I was thinking, ya know, that they'd made up or something, but when I got up this morning she was on the sofa watching Valley marathons" Marissa closed her eyes and sighed, she knew Summer only did that when she was too depressed to go out.

"So…" She said. "We need a plan" The three all looked at each other before a devious smile came on all three faces, the same thought all crossing their minds at the same time.

"Got it" Marissa said to the two other men. They nodded confirming that, they too, had the same thought.

* * *

Summer looked at her dress in the mirror one more time, it was a red dress with spaghetti straps; it had different shades of red on different patches. The red melted in with her golden Californian skin, making it glow more. She straightened any creases – not that there were any – she had and pulled a strand of her mahogany hair back into place and wiped off any make up from around her eyes.

She didn't know what was going on, she only knew that her dad and Marissa knew about this spectacular party but she didn't. She'd heard nothing of it.

She'd spent the last 2 weeks wallowing in her own self-pity, not really caring that it was over Seth Cohen. She'd even broken up with Zach, not wanting to feel guilty that she was using him, but when she had figured out all the hurt she caused Cohen she knew she had to find a way to make it up to him.

She sighed and once she made sure her appearance was appropriate she grabbed her purse and made her way down the stairs.

Her dad and Marissa stood at the foot of the stairs talking about something, until they heard Summer make an ahem then they stopped talking and looked at Summer.

"You look beautiful, princess," Neil said to his daughter.

"Yeah totally hot Sum" Marissa added, she was also wearing formal wear, as was her dad, but Marissa was wearing a blue creased, vintage dress that flattened all the wrong places and flattered all the right.

"So where is this party? I haven't even heard about it" Summer said as they exited the house, Neil turned to Marissa and shared a smirk with her and then turned his attention back to twisting the key in the hole in the door. Marissa turned to her best friend.

"The beach" Marissa said, vaguely, as she walked down to the car and Summer followed her.

"The beach?" Summer asked "Why is it at the beach?"

Marissa shrugged her shoulders and Neil followed behind.

* * *

Seth tightened his tie around his neck. He was wearing a plain, normal suit with a black tie. He didn't really feel like making the effort tonight, he didn't even want to go but Ryan was forcing him to, and the worse part? His parents weren't even going, claiming they needed alone time, which only forced Seth more into going.

When he checked his tie was ok in the mirror he ran a hand through his hair, it was shorter than last year but still had that Jew-fro bounce to it.

He hadn't talked to Summer since their little rendezvous on the beach that long two weeks ago. But he still thought of her, all the time, and he still tried desperately to get over her, but it was no use, and he was tired of trying. He knew he'd probably have to see her tonight, which was one of the reasons he didn't want to go. Seeing her all friendly with Zach, her arm around him, his hand on his waist, Seth didn't know how he was going to deal with seeing it but he was going to have to sooner or later. But what Seth didn't know was that they had broken up, and that Summer was as self-wallowy (A/N: no its not a word, I made it up) as he was.

Ryan knocked on Seth's door and waited for response, when he didn't receive one he called out "Come on man we gotta jet,"

"Yeah, ok, just a sec" Seth said, he picked up Oats, his old companion, "Wish me luck" He said, and with one final look into his room he turned to walk out the door.

As he came out he saw Ryan there "Come on, dude, we're going to be late" Ryan said with a tiny smirk threatening the corners of his mouth. Seth looked at him weirdly before bounding his way down the stairs, a heavy thump with every step he took.

"It's going to be some night," Ryan said under his breath to himself before following Seth down the stairs.

As they reached the foyer Sandy and Kirsten waited there, Sandy's hands on Kirsten's shoulder's. "You kids ready to go then?"

"Yeah," Seth mumbled, he really didn't want to go.

Sandy chuckled at his son; it was going to be one hell of a night for him. Of course his son didn't know what they all knew, this was a set up, not a party.

Seth walked out of the house, the door swung open behind him, Ryan looked at the older couple and grinned at him before leaving "I'll be back in about half an hour" he said.

* * *

Summer sat in the back of her dad's car, looking out of the windows, Newport scenery was so beautiful especially at night, she wouldn't change this for anywhere in the world. Not that she'd been everywhere in the world, but she still loved Orange County more than anywhere else.

She leaned back in her chair when the car halted to a stop, she lifted her head and looked around, she saw that they were at the beach like Marissa had said but it was definitely not a party, there was a table and two chairs set up and candles surrounding the table. She looked confused to the two faces that were now looking from the front. "Ok… so we set you up," Marissa said bluntly "We're not going to a Newport function, your meeting someone here" Marissa said.

"What? Who?" Summer asked as she leaned forward in her seat towards her dad and Marissa.

"Ahh, now that would be telling sweetie, just get out and wait" Her dad said with a wink of his eye to her.

"Ok, but only cos I trust you two," she said, a suspicious glance thrown the way of Neil and Marissa, she opened the door, and stepped out. She had no idea what to expect on some level she kinda knew but she wasn't going to let her mind voice them thoughts.

She stepped out of the car and walked towards the table. She noticed there was a waiter to the side, hidden in the shadows. She was still confused so she sat down on one of the chairs and watched the silver car speed off into the distance, she looked around as if Ashton Kutcher was going to come out of nowhere and shout 'Punk'd'.

* * *

Seth tapped his foot to the music as the car sped on the road. He looked over to Ryan and saw he had his elbow folded on the door with his headrest on his hand and his other hand steering the wheel in the right direction.

"Where exactly are we going Ryan?" Seth asked.

"Ahh, for me to know and you to find out" Ryan said changing his position so both of his hands were on the wheel. Seth looked at Ryan almost urging him to tell him where they were going but after that he gave up and watched his surroundings.

Another 7 minutes exactly – Seth counted – they arrived at a beach, Seth looked around him. And saw a figure sitting at a table with their chin rested on their hands and looking around them, with the dark and the only light coming, dimly, from the candles set around the table he couldn't tell who it was. He turned his attention to Ryan.

"Get out" He said plainly.

"Why?"

"Dude, trust me, you're going to want to get out, so go" Ryan said pushing his sorta brother out of the car.

Seth stepped out and looked back at Ryan. "Seriously, Ryan what's going on?" He asked him looking around his new surroundings.

"Shut the door and I'll tell you" Ryan said. Seth shut the door as he was told and stepped forward to lean into the open window. "You're meeting someone here," He said.

"Who?" Seth asked.

"Summer" Ryan said before he drove off, Seth jumped back, not really wanting to be run over. He sighed, he knew something had been fishy about this Newport Newpsie event, and now he had to face his ex-girlfriend, great, Seth thought, just great.

* * *

Summer knew exactly whom it was as the lanky figure stepped out of the car, and just seeing him in his suit and dirty converses her heart started thumping, faster and faster. She knew whom it was when Marissa and her dad dropped – no wait, abandoned – her, but all her suspicions were confirmed as she saw the figure become lonely as the car drove off.

Seth twisted his body towards the beach and saw her, for the first time in two weeks. Her face seemed to light up as she saw him, but it couldn't be… could it?

He walked towards the table and the first thing Summer did was jump from her seat and immeadiatly place herself in Seth's arms. Seth awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, a little thrown off by her actions, but a minute in he relaxed and let his arms wrap themselves around her.

It was immeadiatly calming for Summer, just to feel his arms wrap around her, and feel him relax. It was perfect. Well not perfect. 'Cause it was Seth and Summer. Sethummer. And they were never perfect. They were far from. But perfect wasn't real. And they were real, especially as they softly danced to the rhythm of the waves and just let themselves be there. Them. Nothing holding them back. They no longer needed to hold onto hope; they needed to hold onto reality.

* * *

_**Ok please review! Just one more chapter, and sorry the ending is a bit… disappointing, I swear I will make the epilogue better and also, what do you all want to see happen in the epilogue? Sorry for the lateness and also in case you hadn't noticed I changed my pen name to ramsychick.**_


	5. Part V

_**Holding on For Hope**_

_**Disclaimer: We've covered this… I don't own it so let's just get over the fact that life dealt me bad hand and I don't own it and move on with our lives I know I have.**_

* * *

She straightened the crease forming in her dress, and flicked a bit of hair, that was falling, back into place. With one final look in the mirror, she made sure she looked hot, which sure enough, she did. It felt like that night again, the night that all mistakes were forgiven and her and Seth had become once again inseparable, and had been since then on.

She was now in her first year of college, going to the winter formal. She smiled at the reflection, and when the door knocked she grabbed her purse, and jacket off her bed and moved to answer the door.

"Hey," He said to her, leaning against the door frame "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yep,"

"Cool." He said, moving aside so she could move past him.

They stepped out into the cool Rhode Island air; they'd both been accepted into Brown University, along with Ryan and Marissa, who had gotten back together half way through their senior year, after being with Seth and Summer for so long, it was inevitable.

So the fantastic four had ended up, all together, in the same college, what were the odds? None of them could get over the coincidence of it all.

"So are we meeting RyRissa there, picking them up or what?" Seth asked as they climbed into his car.

"Since when did you call them 'RyRissa'?"

"Since they became inseparable and can't go without finishing each other's sentences." He said, turning the ignition on.

"Well we're inseparable, and we can finish each other's sentences if we wanted, and we don't get called 'Sethummer'"

"Woman, please, don't make me sick before we see the grossly cute couple, the fact is that we don't finish each other's sentences." He made clear.

"Right," Summer said, "Yeah, anyway Marissa is meeting with Ryan and then they're going there, but I doubt they'll make it there." Summer said as she shuddered at the thought.

Seth let a small chuckle escape as he saw his girlfriend's reaction to the RyRissa love.

* * *

His arm slipped, automatically, around her waist as they entered, they dispatched their coats at the door, and paid their entry fee, and moved into the main hall. All their actions were just natural, and surprising to most people they met, they never got sick of each other, they spent all breaks together, all nights, weekends, everything, and it only made them stronger, which is what made them such a role model to their peers.

As they entered various people waved to them or spoke a 'hello' to them. It was the first place where Seth wasn't popular because he was dating the prom queen; he was popular just for being him.

They moved onto the dance floor, where Seth's arms moved around his small partner's shoulders, while Summer's arms moved around his torso, they were naturally in sync with each other.

Both of their minds cast back to that night, the night that was similar to that night, the night since when they'd become inseparable.

* * *

_After a long time just embracing, and smelling the scents they'd grown to love and missed in Seth's absence, Seth moved out of the hug, holding Summer at arms length, as if she'd escape._

"_I'm so sorry." He said, still holding her arms. Summer saw the silent tears that formed in the corner of his eye, and made her want to breakdown and cry right there. She hated to see him cry. _

"_There's no need to be sorry, I'm the one that should be sorry." She admitted. Seth looked at her strangely._

"_Why should you, be sorry?" _

"_Because I'm the one that you didn't think would be here if Ryan – your only friend – left, I mean how were you supposed to trust me when I let my dad break us up, and then for you to come back and to see I'd moved on, you must've thought I was heartless." She finished, tears now openly falling down her face. _

"_No, you must've thought I was heartless, leaving you, with just a note while I went and sulked in the pacific ocean just 'cause my friend had gone, basically showed me out to be as pathetic as your father predicted." He said. _

"_Why don't we just start fresh? It seems like we both hurt each other, and if your willing to forgive, then so am I," Summer said, she looked straight into Seth's eyes, getting lost in the deep pools of mystery that he gave off from his eyes. _

"_Yeah, I'd like that." He said. _

_And with that, he leaned down to her softly, holding her chin and capturing her lips with his own, locking her into a sweet kiss. He tried to pour all of his feelings out in one kiss, and it worked because it left Summer completely breathless. _

* * *

Summer smiled and pulled Seth in closer, breathing in his scent. Normally she wouldn't really show public displays of affection but she loved little moments like this, when she would and they could connect to show the whole world, that they were in fact a couple, and in love. If you saw them once, you could mistake them for best friends, because they liked to keep their relationship hidden. But if you looked deeper you would see the look in Seth's eyes when Summer said something to him, or Summer's reaction when Seth would touch her hand or leg.

But while Summer enjoyed the moment, it was over, as a more up-beat song came on, forcing all couples to detach and move off the floor, Summer sighed and moved over to the bowl of punch at the side. Pouring herself a glass.

"Summer!" She recognized the voice, but she couldn't put her finger on who it was. She looked round to see a face she hadn't seen in a while.

"Zach," She said, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well my girlfriend goes to Brown, I go to RISD," He explained, Summer nodded her head and almost immediately the conversation took an awkward turn.

"So, uh, how are you?"

"Oh yeah, yeah, I'm good, you?"

"Yeah, it's been a while since I last saw you," Summer said, trying to remember the last time she saw Zach.

"Well, the last time I saw you was when you broke up for me, for that other guy, Sam, wasn't it?" Zach said, a bit of bitterness used in his tone.

"Hey, I didn't break up with you, because of him, and his name's Seth." She pointed out.

"Oh, what happened between you two then?" As if on cue Seth came up behind Summer, drink in hand, slipping a hand around her waist, looking at the stranger.

"Who's this?" Seth asked, eyeing him up and down.

"Don't you remember? He went to Harbor, left in junior year" Summer looked up at Seth as it clicked in his mind.

"Zach isn't it?"

"Yeah, and you are?" Zach said, he already knew who it was, but he was pretty annoyed that Seth could forget who he was just like that.

"Seth, Summer's boyfriend." Seth said, making sure he knew.

"Yeah, well, I have to run my girlfriend seems to have ditched me, so, uh bye" He rushed before running off. Seth and Summer looked at each other, sharing a smile before moving out of the building.

"Well, that was interesting" Summer said as they sat on a bench outside in the freezing cold air.

"Yeah, highlight of the evening," Seth said sarcastically.

"Aww, is someone getting jealous?" Summer asked in a voice that would usually be used with children.

"How can I not be, you dated him before me and he's everything I'm not." Seth pouted. Summer smiled at his insecurities and moved to sit on his lap.

"Well, don't worry, 'cause I'll always want you, not some athletic type, that uses more hair products then me," Summer confirmed. Seth smiled and leaned up to kiss her.

"I've got something to ask you," Seth said. Summer's heart started beating faster and faster, it wasn't what she thought it was, was it?

"Will you," He started and Summer's hands became clammy, he really was, they were too young to do that. "Will you move in with me" He finally stuttered out. And Summer's once pounding heart seemed to drop, like she'd wanted it. She looked at him and saw the anticipation in his eyes, she smiled and kissed him.

"Of course I will" She said, Seth closed his eyes and sighed, like a whole weight had been lifted off his chest. Summer shook off the feeling; she knew that in due course her and Seth would probably marry, just not anytime soon.

"We just need to find an apartment that's good rent and near Brown, shouldn't be too hard." Seth said sarcastically.

Summer smiled, and she knew that they'd be just fine, holding onto reality.

* * *

_**Ok so I want you all to know that this was written at about 5am in the morning, so if it's lame, or has mistakes then that's why. I wanted to post it for you all! Thanks to EVERYONE that reviewed! They rocked my little world! Special thanks to Spiffykay and Mrs. Cohen, without there very first reviews; this would've been a oneshot! So please give me one last review!? I would love to make it to 50 reviews… which may seem a bit optimistic, but please?? **_

_**And also, if you're still reading "I'm Lost Without you" there's a new chapter being worked on, I had most of it written and then I swapped computers and accidentally deleted it. **_


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